A
master craftsperson is striving hard to create a beautiful, practical and
ethical product: one piece at a time. Chances are, this scene sounds familiar.
Perhaps the description fits someone you know; maybe even yourself. But it also
fits a completely different type of
craftsman: one who wears a white coat instead of a regular jacket; and who works
in a lab instead of a studio or workshop.
At
DSM, our scientists don’t make furniture and they don’t build houses. But like
most designers we know, they are optimists – imagineers who spend their lives wondering ‘what if’; continually
reframing challenges and reiterating their work in pursuit of the next big breakthrough.
Sometimes, a ‘what if’ evolves into a ‘why not?’ And occasionally…it becomes a reality.
One such example is Decovery®: a family of paint resins from DSM that bind the
product’s ingredients together and essentially represent the heart & soul
of the paint. Most importantly, Decovery® is made primarily from plants.
The path to
plant-based paint
That’s
right. We can now design paint from plants, seeds and leaves in much the same
way that today’s design industry creates products from natural, sustainable
materials. What’s more we can achieve this while delivering the very finest of finishes.
It’s
this ability of Decovery® to benefit planet
and performance that we believe represents the next big breakthrough in
sustainable paint – based on principles that will be familiar to many of you in
the design industry. In fact the concept behind the plant-based building blocks
that we use to create Decovery® resins are remarkably similar to those that
designers, builders and architects use. The only difference? Our scientists are
fitting their block together on a far smaller
scale (think seven times thinner than a human hair), and instead of being made
from bricks or concrete, our blocks come from plant residue.
Specifically,
we extract the sugars,
starches and natural oils from trees and agricultural waste
through process known as biomass conversion to create our building blocks –
which are completely free of fossil-based materials. So for our planet, the
benefits are clear: a reduced carbon footprint, which in turn helps us tackle
climate change. While for people - and more specifically your customers - plant-based paint means the ability to breathe
fresh, clean air free from solvent fumes.
Want a
sustainable alternative? Just ask!
But
before getting too pleased with ourselves,
we’re the first to admit there remains a long road ahead. To put that into
perspective, today Decovery® resins are up to 50% plant based, so we’re only
halfway to creating completely natural paint resin; and it’s here where our
counterparts in the design industry can really help. To make our dream a reality
we need everyone who uses paint – from designers to manufacturers to painters
themselves and everyone in between, to come together to fuel this movement towards
a 100 % plant-based finish.
The
good news? We’re making progress. For example, our team recently spoke to a door
manufacturer about using more sustainable paints. His honest reply was that he’d
never thought too much about it - although he was willing to listen. When we explained
the sustainable concept behind Decovery® - and how it delivers a win-win-win
that benefits planet and performance – he was convinced. Now our team is working
with this designer to develop a new, more sustainable paint. So if you’re
interested in doing the same why not get vocal – and ask your regular supplier for
some sustainable alternatives?
You may well discover
that the coating on your product really
does start to become…the icing on the cake.
0 comments:
Post a Comment